When testing the inherent makeup of the quadrupel—the warmest and darkest of Trappist monastery beer styles—we added triticale, a hybrid grain combining the pleasant flavor of wheat with the elemental durability of rye. We originally explored this nouveau twist on a traditional style in 2010, when brewing a test batch of a potential beer in our Stone Vertical Epic Ale series. Brewmaster Mitch Steele reached for and subsequently improved on that pilot recipe, bringing it to life as part of the Stone Stochasticity Project. The result is a quad that’s lower in sweetness, but rich with dried fruit and spice nuances.

Appearance:Pours deep chestnut with a light tan creamy head.
Aroma:Tropical fruit, banana and brown sugar, as well as some light pepper and clove flavors from Ardennes yeast.
Taste:Fruity, molasses, brown sugar and banana flavors. There is some spiciness from both the yeast and triticale grain. Palate:Full and very smooth with a touch of sweetness.
Overall:The Star Trek geek in me inspired this beer. The classic episode, “The Trouble with Tribbles,” referenced a type of grain called quadrotriticale (pronounced “quádro-trítĭ-kay-lee”). As described in the episode, this was a high-yield, four-lobed grain hybrid of wheat and rye with a bluish color. The flaked triticale we used is a cross between rye and wheat and makes up about 10% of the grain bill in this Belgian-style quadrupel.